Mindful Meditation for Epidural Catheter Placement

Effects of a Brief Mindful Meditation Intervention on Patient Anxiety and Satisfaction for Labor Epidural Catheter Placement: a Randomized Controlled Trial

Given the high prevalence of neuraxial analgesia use during labor and the anxiety associated with these procedures, a method to decrease this anxiety could benefit millions of laboring women each year. Mindfulness practice has been used by many groups to decrease anxiety during pregnancy with optimistic results. However, there has been no major study evaluating the role of mindfulness interventions on anxiety associated with neuraxial placement. The purpose of our study is to address this gap in knowledge.

The primary objective of this study is to evaluate the effects of a brief mindful meditation intervention on anxiety and satisfaction regarding epidural catheter placement for laboring parturients.The investigators hypothesize that a brief mindful meditation intervention, consisting of a 10 minute auditory instructional practice, implemented before epidural catheter placement will: Decrease anxiety Increase satisfaction compared to a neutral 10 minute auditory recording control, in participants undergoing labor epidural catheter placement. The secondary objective of this study is to evaluate whether anesthesia providers experience a difference in satisfaction with labor epidural catheter placement in participants who listen to a brief mindful meditation intervention prior to epidural catheter placement. The investigators hypothesize that anesthesia providers placing labor epidural catheters in patients who listen to a brief mindful meditation intervention prior to labor epidural catheter placement will: 1. Experience an increase in satisfaction with labor epidural catheter placement.

Participants will listen to a 10 minute neutral content recording just prior to epidural catheter placement.

Participants will listen to a 10 minute mindful meditation recording just prior to epidural catheter placement.

Anesthesia provider placing the epidural catheter satisfaction with placement conditions on a numerical rating scale

Inclusion Criteria: Patients are eligible for enrollment if they are greater than 18 years of age, admitted for vaginal delivery, anticipating epidural analgesia, and report a numerical pain scale rating of 3 or less at the time of enrollment. Exclusion Criteria: Do not speak English or admitted for cesarean delivery will be excluded from the study

To maintain privacy and confidentiality, patient data will be labeled with an alphanumeric code, the key to the code will be kept in a secure location separate from other data forms and will only be accessible to the investigators.